There is disclosed in pending application Ser. No. 467,522 filed May 6, 1974 a machine for lasting the heel and side portions of a shoe assembly formed of a last having an upper mounted thereon and an insole located on its bottom while the shoe assembly is supported bottom-up on a support means. The machine includes heel wiping means that are symmetrically disposed about a forwardly-rearwardly extending line of symmetry and that are mounted for forward movement from a retracted position to an advanced position in a heel wiping stroke. The support means so supports the shoe assembly that the heel portion of the shoe assembly faces the heel wiping means and is located forwardly of the heel wiping means when the heel wiping means is in its retracted position so that the heel wiping stroke cause the heel wiping means to wipe the heel portion of the margin of the upper against the insole. The support means is so constructed as to enable the heel portion of the shoe assembly to be shifted transversely of said line of symmetry. A base is located outwardly of and on each side of the support means and forwardly of the heel wiping means, each base being mounted for inward movement in a base stroke from an outer base position to an inner base position. Manually operable limit-stop means are provided that adjust the inner base position of each base. A side lasting instrumentality, mounted to each base for inward-outward movement, is so constructed as to enable it when it is moved inwardly of an outer position on its base to perform operations that include engaging its associated side portion of the shoe assembly and wiping the margin of its associated side portion of the upper against the insole. Control means are provided that are actuable to selectively shift the support means so as to shift the heel portion of the shoe assembly in a particular direction that is transverse to said line of symmetry.
In the operation of this machine, the heel wiping means is initially maintained in its retracted position, the bases are initially maintained in their outer base positions, and the side lasting instrumentalities are initially maintained in outer positions with respect to their associated bases. This is followed by an actuation of said control means which is followed by a movement of each base through its base stroke which, in turn, is followed by a movement of each side lasting instrumentality inwardly of its outer position with respect to its associated base to perform said operations on the shoe assembly. After said actuation of the control means, a heel wiping stroke is imparted to the heel wiping means.
It is desirable that the heel portion of the shoe assembly be symmetrically related to said line of symmetry during the heel wiping stroke. It is known, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,609,785, to provide a mechanism in a heel lasting machine for shifting the heel portion of a shoe laterally to bring it into symmetry with the heel wiping means of the machine when changing from a left foot shoe assembly to a right foot shoe assembly or vice versa.